Friends (1994-2004) followed sienfeld's success, and it presented similar everyday events and relatinoships. The show lasted for ten years. In 2004, the final episode of friends was watched by over 50 million viewers in the united states. What made friends so popular? It was the fact that the six friends were just that-friends. and it wasn't just on the show . In real life, the cast of friends were pals.